Toyota's 2012 Le Mans Hybrid Race Car Breaks Cover

It could just be coincidence, but considering Peugeot's announcement yesterday that it was shutting down its endurance racing program effective immediately, now would seem like a very opportune time for another major manufacturer to show off its brand new Le Mans contender.

However, until now, the only evidence of Toyota’s progress was a teaser image of its new hybrid LMP1 prototype racer. But thanks to a Toyota PR employee in the UK, we now have our first glimpses of the actual race car.

Visually, the new prototype looks very similar to other contemporary LMP cars from the likes of Audi and Peugeot. A narrow fixed canopy cockpit with a mandated dorsal fin is flanked by two Formula 1-style side pods. It's hard to tell in the photographs, but it also looks like Toyota will be using the same sized wheels and tires on the front and rear axles, which is currently in fashion in the LMP1 class.

As was previously announced, and is scrawled prominently across the fin of the LMP1 Toyota, this car is a hybrid. It's being developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH, which is the same division that ran Toyota's F1 program. Which internal combustion engine the car uses is still unknown, but it's safe to say it will be a small capacity V-6 or V-8 fueled by gasoline.

Does this mark the end for diesel dominance at Le Mans? Not necessarily. It's been rumored that Audi originally designed its diesel-powered R18 racers to accommodate a drivetrain with hybrid assistance in anticipation of a new set of rules that could favor hybrids.

Despite Peugeot's exit, rest assured that the future of endurance racing is looking very bright. With Audi's ongoing commitment to the sport, Toyota's return this year and Porsche's return in 2014, Le Mans endurance racing will remain very exciting this year and in many more to come.